In 1781, the slave ship Zong cruised the Caribbean, its hull groaning under 442 captives. When supplies ran low, Captain Luke Collingwood ordered 133 Africans thrown overboard—an act later justified in court as “jettison of cargo.” Today, descendant Kwame Bello, a marine archaeologist, sails the same waters in his 50-foot research vessel Ancestor’s Voice, hunting for submerged truths while advocating for reparations. “Every wave holds a name,” he says, staring at sonar screens scanning the ocean floor.
Epic Passage: Goree Island to Virginia (3,000 nm)
Leg 1: Goree Island → Barbados (1,800 nm / 18 Days)
Bello’s crew—historians, descendants, and marine biologists—begin at Senegal’s Goree Island. In the “Door of No Return” dungeon, they find chains embedded in walls, their rust holding traces of DNA. “We’re not just reenacting—we’re embodying the journey,” says historian Dr. Amina Diallo, donning 18th-century sailor garb.
Each morning, the crew endures 12-hour shifts, hauling water buckets and reciting slave ship logs. At night, they swab cheeks for Harvard’s African Ancestry Atlas. Bello’s results reveal ties to the Yoruba tribe, whose members were often forced to navigate ships. “My ancestors’ hands steered these routes,” he says, gripping a 1730s-era lead line.
Leg 2: Barbados → Virginia (1,200 nm / 14 Days)
Near the Bahamas, sonar pings reveal the Prince of Wales—a 1680s slave ship discovered in 2024. Bello dives, finding a hull scarred by deliberate scuttling. Inside, ceramic beads and shackles lie preserved in sediment. “These aren’t artifacts—they’re tombstones,” he whispers, collecting samples for isotope analysis.
Mid-Atlantic Loop: Dakar → Cape Verde (1,000 nm / 10 Days)
In Dakar, the crew meets descendants of the Zong’s survivors. At Goree’s memorial beach, they release 133 lanterns inscribed with slave names, their light reflecting off a 2024 UNESCO-commissioned hologram of the Zong’s final moments.
Technical Breakthroughs
- DNA Mapping: Harvard’s atlas matches 78% of participants to West African tribes, linking 12 to the Zong’s records.
- Isotope Analysis: Bones from the Prince of Wales show captives ate corn and manioc, staples of West African agriculture.
- VR Reenactment: At Liverpool’s International Slavery Museum, visitors experience the Zong’s final hours via AI-generated sensory gloves.
Actionable Resources
- Memory Voyage Initiative (PanAfricanReparations.org): Join Bello’s annual expedition to map slave ship wrecks.
- Black Triangle Atlas (Amnesty.org/atlas): Document modern labor abuses using geotagged reports.
- Trauma-Informed Training (LiverpoolMuseum.uk): Learn to honor survivors’ stories ethically.
Legacy of the Deep
The expedition’s data contributes to a 2025 UN reparations report, calculating $12 trillion owed to African descendants. Bello’s final act: planting a tree in Virginia’s soil, mixed with sand from Goree Island. “This isn’t just about history—it’s about healing,” he says, as the Ancestor’s Voice sails into sunset.